I want to attend this so bad. I'm am on the other coast though, & that makes it a little hard to attend the other parks, for now. I was just at EPCOT though, & they are putting up a Coco themed Day of the Dead exhibition right as you enter the Mexico pavilion similar to this. That pavilion was actually the first thing I thought of when I saw this video. This kinda reminds me of an outside, more family orientated version. At Plaza De La Familia there's a Day of the Dead celebration every day, celebrating family. You can also get some background into Coco while you're there. This is one of those things you attend at a Disney Park, & the next thing you know you've spent all you're time here. Anyway, what do y'all think? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Disney Files Patent For New "Swinging" Ride System
"One goal in designing the ride system was to deliver an experience similar to what it would feel like to be with Tarzan or a similar character swinging between trees of a jungle on a vine or with Spider-Man or a similar character swinging on webs between buildings as you move down streets of a city. [The ride is] intended to have swinging sensation provided while also having forward travel along a ride path in a direction of travel and for the swinging sensation to feel thrilling and fun." That's the description that came with these pictures according to the Orlando Business Journal. Now the real questions are what is this going to be, & where is it going to go? The easy pick would be a Spider-Man ride. To me that just sounds a little iffy with the studio team-up situation Disney has with Sony when it comes to Spider-Man. I could be wrong, but I'm not sure Disney would want to go with an attraction for a property they only have a half interest in. If I had to go with my gut, I'm thinking this is something for either the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster, or the Millenium Falcon attraction planned for Galaxy's Edge. The patent also mentionsthe movement of the swings could be controlled where the arm could be slower at the top of a roll to simulate a pause before swinging downward quickly, speeding up as it reaches the bottom-most part of the swing to simulate natural movements. That also gives me that idea as opposed to it actually being a Spider-Man ride. It's all speculation right now though until we hear more. What do y'all think though? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Talking Disney Characters Closest Thing To Being In An Actual Cartoon
This one's got me a little jealous. It was put up by Inside the Magic, & it features the new talking characters featured at Disneyland. As a person who thinks Walt Disney World is Disneyland perfected, I've already had to acknowledge that Anaheim's park probably does Halloween better than ours just yesterday. So it pains me to see this the next day. This is friggin' awesome!! It's on a whole real-life Who Framed Roger Rabbit tip. Talking characters in the park?!? Now there's three?!? We don't have one in Florida?!? Why is this?!? I'm sure there's going to be a split, & this'll be either the most amazing or most terrifying thing you could think of. I'm definitely on the amazing side of that spectrum. Funny thing is now that they talk, I don't know if I'd even know what to say. I do wish Walt could see this though. This was the dream. We're finally getting there. Total immersion & escape from reality in the worlds he helped create. I hope these make it to my world soon! I can ask Mickey his perspective on his ever changing role in cinema. Not really, but that does make me wonder the actual speaking capabilities. Can they say anything, & if not what's the limit of their vocabulary? That's the limit of what I want to know about these new talking characters though. I don't want to destroy any of the "magic" by understanding the ins & outs. To me this will be the real Mickey, Minnie, & Donald. What do y'all think of these amazing additions to California Adventure? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
If You Can't Make It To Disneyland For Halloween, This Is A Taste Of What We're Missing
Disneyland put up this little montage of what to expect at Disneyland & California Adventure this Halloween Time, & it's definitely no Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. A couple of the things look legitimately creepy. Like whatever the heck that is after the shot of Space Mountain. Also, a lot of the rides are themed out for the occasion. The Haunted Mansion has been totally re-hauled as Nightmare Before Christmas, Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout has changed the whole adventure, Cars Land is throwing a Haul-O-Ween, & that's just the biggest changes. I loved the Not-So-Scary Party when we went, but after seeing this I'm hurt to say Disneyland may be doing it better. I can only tell from the videos & pics I've seen, but this looks amazing. I love the extent it looks like they go through to change the whole atmosphere. Especially the ride overhauls. I see myself planning this trip in the future. What do y'all think? In fact, if you've been to Not-So-Scary, what do you think in comparison? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Disneyland Gives A Closer Look & This Is No Gingerbread House, It's An Edible Audio-Animatronic!!
I had been seeing pictures for awhile of this Nightmare Before Christmas inspired Haunted Mansion gingerbread house. When I first saw it I thought it was really cool just due to it's shear size. It's enormous, I would love to take a picture with my littlest standing by it. She'd probably almost fit inside it. Disneyland put out this video showing the massive task of building this thing in time-lapse, & then this thing went from cool to amazing. Like it says in the title, it's not just a gingerbread house. This thing's an edible audio-animatronic. There's stuff moving all over this thing from the bugs to Oogie Boogie in the background. I wish this thing wasn't on the west coast. I really would love to check it out in person. I'll never look at a gingerbread house the same. What do y'all think? Could y'all eat this, or is it just too pretty? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Disneyland's Cars Have Their "Carstumes" For Halloween
This made me smile. It's Halloween in Car's Land & the stars of Cars have donned their "Carstumes". The Disney characters in their costumes were the coolest thing for me when we went to the Not-So-Scary Halloween party last year at WDW Magic Kingdom. These guys are going to be posted up at Disney's California Adventure. I already want a Car's Land on my coast, this extra little Halloween setup just makes me want it even more. So since it's Halloween we have to judge a contest for these two. I love me some superheroes, but my vote is going to have to go to Mater's "Dracarla". What do y'all think? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Behind The Scenes Of GOTG: Mission Breakout Shows Disneyland Going All Out
I didn't know they put this much effort into re-making this ride. I'm not one for "tower drop" rides, but seeing this makes me want to check this out even more. I love me some Guardians of the Galaxy & not only do you get the actual cast members in this ride, you get the direction of James Gunn himself. I usually only ride "tower drop" rides once to remind myself I don't care for them. Apparently, this one has random show experiences though, & with all this work put in I might actually break my usual code & check this out more than once. What do y'all think though? Does this look cool or like an awful lot of work to put into a "tower drop"? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Coco's Coming To Disneyland!
Can't wait until November 22 for the release of Pixar's Coco? Disneyland is providing a little something to hold you over in the form of Plaza de la Familia. I'm actually a little jealous of this one. I wish it was coming round my way. There's even an awesome spot in Epcot's Mexico to set it up. Hint, hint. Anyway, it's a festival beginning Sept 15 & running through Nov 2 at the Paradise Gardens Bandstand in Disney California Adventure Park. Pixar Post reports this is "A Musical Celebration of Coco" where singing host Mateo will be joined by Folklorico dancers & the GRAMMY-award-winning Mariachi Divas to bring three of the films songs to life. Also to be included in the festivities is mariachi music, The World of Coco exhibit, a Tree of Life interactive photo location, & a whole new menu of Mexican food. Every part of this sounds awesome. I've been all about this movie since I first heard the music. I would LOVE to see this show. (And also eat the food!) If this isn't streamed, someone on the west-coast please record this & put it up on YouTube. I have to see this experience. What do y'all think? Does this show sound as great in your head as it does in mine? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
A Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Milestone, Or Another Really Cool Reason To Work At Disneyland
So this came out, & I'm not sure what I thought was the best thing about it. First, there's tallest peak of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge being completed. This is awesome in itself, especially in the video when they lay the model over the real-life construction that is there right now. Galaxy's Edge is going to be huge! The second piece of this is for anyone needing yet another reason to work at the parks. Cast Members were allowed to sign & tag up all the "bones" to the land. This made each one of them a part of history. To some it may sound stupid, but that's a small piece of "immortality" right there. They are technically all part of the Star Wars universe now. All in all this just helps prove that this amazing thing is actually happening! What are y'all's thought on not only Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, but also this awesome cast member experience? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Disneyland's Updated "Fantasmic" Is Fantastic!!
If you've never seen Fantasmic, do yourself a favor & watch this. Preferably as big as you can possibly watch it. I've seen the Hollywood Studios version of this at Disneyworld many times, & it's the most amazing live show you'll ever see. It combines water, fire, live-action, projections, lights, sound, music, fireworks, & laser in an amazing spectacle of a show that combines a ton of Disney favorites. They've added some more scenes to this one at Disneyland which were really impressive. The Aladdin & Jasmine carpet ride, Pirates of the Caribbean, & Tangled lanterns really stood out. Disneyland added a new mist screen that makes the projections a lot more clear. At first I thought California got robbed. Florida's ends with a giant realistic live-action dragon fighting the live-action Mickey Mouse. If you keep watching the video though they explain though it was missing it's still part of the show. (I'm guessing technical issues) They did show some test video of it though & it even improves on the show I've seen. I hope some of these changes now get implemented into the Hollywood Studios version. That'd make it a lot easier for me to see it live. Check it out & let me know what you think in the comments, like, & share.
Star Wars: Secrets Of The Empire Looks Like It's Going Beyond Virtual Reality
“A truly transformative experience is so much more than what you see with your eyes; it’s what you hear, feel, touch, and even smell. Through the power of The VOID, guests who step into Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire won’t just see this world, they’ll know that they are part of this amazing story.” Those were the words of Curtis Hickman, co-founder and chief creative officer at The VOID. I couldn't think of anything that sounded cooler than that. This is being described as a first of it's kind Star Wars & is produced by Lucasfilm & ILMxLAB in collaboration with The VOID. It's gonna open to the public this holiday season in two VOID Experience Centers. One at Downtown Disney, Disneyland & the other in Disney Springs, Disneyworld. The description of this thing at face value is very exciting. Moving freely through an untethered, social, multi-sensory Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire experience that will allow you to interact & engage with friends, family, & Star Wars characters. I'm hoping I'm not hyping this thing up in my head, but after using words like "transport" & phrases such as "invoking all the senses" further along in the announcement sets the bar pretty high. My curiosity is definitely peaked though. I gonna keep my eye on this, it might wind up being my Christmas wish this year. What do y'all think? Any wishes or guesses on how immersive this things gonna be? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Changes For "Pirates of the Caribbean" Both Good & Bad It Seems
Yes, it seems the classic "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride in Disneyland Paris will be going through some major changes when it reopens July 24th. As well as some eventual changes coming stateside as well. Chip & Co. reports when the Disneyland Paris attraction reopens it will now contain Captain Barbossa, ghostly visages of Davy Jones & Blackbeard warning "dead men DO tell tales", & a new part for the famous Redhead (More on that later). The ride will also feature new enhanced Audio-Animatronics, cosutmes, special effects, lighting & sound, some of which classical music themes from the films. Oh yeah, Captain Jack has also renamed the Blue Lagoon Restaurant after himself. It seems he won it in a wager. This is all really cool, save one part. I enjoyed the addition of Jack stateside, as well as Davy Jones. Even though it sadly seemed to shorten the length of the ride. This however is just wrong. I mentioned the Redhead is getting a new part. She will Yes, it looks like the "We want the redhead auction will now be over." Not only that though, similar refurbishmentsare expected to take place in Disneyland & Magic Kingdom in 2018. They say it has to do with the changing of the times. I'm of the thought that pirates set in a time long ago don't change with the times. If they changed with the times this movie would look a lot more like that Tom Hanks movie Captain Phillips. Anyway, they're still leaving the line, "we want the redhead". Now she'll be taking part in the pirating. I just can't help feeling this is a bad change for the wrong reasons. What do you think? Leave the classics alone? Or are we not big enough to realize part of history anymore without taking it personal? Remember this is a ride about pirates, scallywags, thieves, & murderers.
Larry the Cable Guy Makes A Surprise Appearance At Disneyland's Cars Land
This is the one thing that puts Disneyland over Disneyworld. You never know who's going to show up on a day to day. This time it's Larry the Cable Guy having some fun with folks in Cars Land as Mater. It's awesome when you see these actors do stuff like this. I wish we'd see more of this. It's really a treat for the fans, especially the kids. A big thank you to everyone involved with keeping the magic real. Enjoy this clip, go see Larry in Cars 3, & don't forget to like & share.
Apparently Until Yesterday Disney Didn't Own Disneyland Paris
For the past 25 years I've always wanted to go to Paris. Not for the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre, but to go Euro Disney, now known as Disneyland Paris. I was a kid when this opened. Even then, I mainly wanted to go to see why this had so much trouble working? I mean, Disneyland great, Disneyworld even better, even Tokyo Disneyland worked. It would be an easy deduction that this would at least be just as good right? Wrong, this place has been a magnet for all sorts of trouble since it's inception. Now I might have a good idea why. According to WDW News Today, after offering a buyout to existing shareholders last week Disney acquired 97.08% ownership. France's laws require 95% of the stock to take full ownership. Meaning for the first time in it's 25 years, Disney fully owns the entire resort. This is hopefully signs of great things to come. Then, after they make some much needed adjustments to the place, I can try to make my way to France for La Maison De Mickey.
Can The Rock Make "Jungle Cruise" The Most Electrifying Ride In Disney Parks?
The most electrifying man in sports entertainment has taken Hollywood by storm, dominating box offices world-wide. Recently announced to lead Disney's upcoming Jungle Cruise however, might have just added another skill to Dwayne Johnson's repertoire... Imagineer? Yup, The Rock took to his Instagram posing with a picture of the actual plans to Disneyland from The Vault, but the real story comes underneath where the Jungle Cruise star goes on to say, "..... we'll partner with Disney's brilliant Imagineers to help re-engineer & re-design the #JungleCruise ride in all the Disney theme parks around the world." That's just an excerpt from the whole, but I think it totally gets the point across. New things are coming to the jungle. I'm kinda torn at this news as my only comparison is the changes that were made to Pirates of the Caribbean post movie. And while I highly enjoy the additions of Davy Jones & Captain Jack Sparrow, I'm bummed that the ride is shorter. Disney was built to grow forever though, & that should even go for one of Walt's opening day rides as well I guess. As of now I have faith in The Rock so let's just see where this goes. What do you think? Changes to one of Walt's originals, or is this sacrilege? Let us know in the comments, like, & share.
Amazon Really Wants You To Ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout
That's right, Amazon wants to send 10 sets of 4 to Disneyland. 10 sets of 4. Sorry, I had to say that last bit again, but these ten grand prizes include round trip airfare for up to 4 people, A 2 night stay at the Disneyland Resort Hotel, up to 4, 3 day, 1 Park Disneyland Resort tickets, and the opportunity to attend not only the shows and activities celebrating the opening of Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, but also a tour of the Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout attraction as well. All that's only for the opening so you have to be able to redeem the vacation package and travel from May 25th to May 27th. The opening weekend events will be forfeited if you don't go on these times. I entered y'all. So, I apologize if I don't wind up going to Pandora on opening day. We'll just have to mark that down for a later date, and change it to the debut of the Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout. They're also offering 10 first prizes where each winner will receive a $100 Disney gift card. For those who don't know what the Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout attraction is. It is a redone version of the old Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror. Now apparently reskinned as Guardians of the Galaxy to go with Disney's new approach to getting some of the Marvel licenses in the Disney Parks. Enter for you're chance to win here.
Disney Imagineers & Lucasfilm Talk Star Wars Lands
Imagine sitting in the Millennium Falcon. You might not have to imagine in about a year, & that's not the only thing learned today. The Star Wars themed lands being added to Hollywood Studios in Disneyworld & Disneyland Parks are to contain things familiar to the Star Wars universe, but will be themed to completely new worlds. The focus of this world will be on the story being told. I'm not going to lie, I might have shed a tear during this video. I never thought in my wildest dreams as a child growing up that even a facsimile of this world from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away would ever happen. Described as, "the most ambitious project I've ever seen in the history of Walt Disney Imagineering" by Chris Beatty, Executive Creative Director of Walt Disney Imagineering, I would have to agree based on the artist renderings & the sheer scope of the thing. What do y'all think? Let me know in the comments if you're as excited as I am or could care less to get to come as close as possible to the Star Wars universe? Or maybe just hit up an alien cantina for awhile?
Soft Robots Coming to Disney Parks?
Remember that episode of The Simpsons where the family gets to go to Itchy & Scratchy Land? If you don't it all ends up with the robots going rogue & attacking everyone in the park. If that sounds awesome you're in luck. Chip & Company has brought up a patent application Disney filed Thursday. It's contents? "Designing a robot that will move & physically interact like an animated character." With a picture that resembles Big Hero 6's Baymax, the patent also states the soft-bodied robots would be "designed for reducing collision impacts during human interaction." Obviously safety first, as the last thing we want is an incident even a fraction of the aforementioned Simpsons incident. Disney refused to comment on the patent or the robots. I find myself at a crossroads on this one. I've always somewhat envied the people who get to dress as my favorite cartoons & entertain the masses. On the same note though, I've had to agree with my daughters on the fact that none of our costumed friends talk. I'm also sure that you don't have to pay the robots is another plus for the house of mouse as well. Okay that said, I've gotta say, this does excite me. I'm for anything that further distorts reality & expands the magic. If that means I can have the same interaction with the cartoons that I do with the Princesses & Princes, bring it on! What do you think? Progress or not? Let us know in the comments.
CEO Bob Iger Favors AR Over VR in Disney Parks
LA Times reports that Bob Iger, CEO of Walt Disney Company, while speaking at a USC Marshall and Annenberg event in Santa Monica on Thursday said no way to virtual reality. A lot of parks in the states are using virtual reality to soup up all their old roller coasters that no one's really riding anymore. Much like myself, he favors an augmented reality over a virtual reality opening your view to the world where you can look around yourself, & not be closed off to what's around you. He went on to enlighten us on the fact that he spends each Tuesday afternoon at a Disney engineering lab sporting a head worn device that enables him to hold a lightsaber and duel away with a stormtrooper. I know this would be a personal dream of myself. Yet it also makes me wonder how he gets anything else done with the abilty to do this? The only other details was his want to make the device lighter & smaller. Stupid question, but would you want to fight stormtroopers with lightsabers in AR?
Egg-stravaganza Returning to Disneyland
Disneyland is bringing back the Egg-stravaganza for the fifth year. Basically a Easter egg hunt on steroids, it will take place from April 1-16, 2017. Cost for the event taking place at Disneyland Park, California Adventure Park, & the Downtown Disney District is 5.99 plus tax, not including Park ticket prices of course. That gets you a map & stickers to search for Disney & Pixar themed eggs. When you find them you attach the correspondingsticker to the map. Afterwards you take your map to a redemption location for a surprise. Florida, they didn't forget you as the Egg-stravaganza is also a part of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival through May 29, 2017 as well. I haven't done this particular one, but I have done a few of these scavenger hunts around the parks. They are definitely fun for the whole family & give yet one more aspect to enjoying the Happiest Place in the World.
